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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Bayer Skinoren 20% Cream versus COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream .

Last updated on February 22, 2024. Published on April 15, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 4 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, brightening skin, reducing pores, scar healing and dark spots

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, parabens or sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Prescription German Brand Germany
Facial Treatment South Korean Brand South Korea

Prescription

Prescription skincare treatments. The ingredients in these product are prescription strength and considered medication. In many countries, these must be prescribed by a certified professional.

Facial Treatment

Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.

Price

Shop

Buy Skinoren 20% Cream

Shop

Buy The Retinol 0.1 Cream

Starts at $17.55

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.

Bayer Skinoren 20% Cream 10 ingredients

COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream 51 ingredients

alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
ph level
6.8

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Bayer Skinoren 20% Cream 10 ingredients

COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream 51 ingredients

Benefits

Hydrating
Redness Reducing
Reduces Large Pores
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Acne Trigger (2)
Eczema (2)

Notable Ingredients

Retinoid
Vitamin C (2)
Vitamin E (2)
Hyaluronic Acid (5)

Benefits

Hydrating (4)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (3)
Reduces Irritation (2)
Skin Texture (3)
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging (5)
Dark Spots (3)
Scar Healing (6)
Acne Fighting
Brightening (6)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (6)
Acne Trigger (3)
Irritating (2)
Eczema
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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Bayer Skinoren 20% Cream 10 ingredients

COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream 51 ingredients

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin

Bayer Skinoren 20% Cream contains this as ingredient number 5.

COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream contains this as ingredient number 4.

2
What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying
Community Rating: Disliked

Glyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.

Glyceryl Stearate is used to stabilize the mixing of water and oil ingredients. By preventing these ingredients from separating, it can help elongate shelf life. It can also help thicken the product's texture.

As an emollient, it helps soften skin and supports barrier-replenishing ingredients.

In cosmetics, Glyceryl Stearate is often made from vegetable oils or synthetically produced. The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate

Bayer Skinoren 20% Cream contains this as ingredient number 6.

COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream contains this as ingredient number 20.

3
What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Cetearyl alcohol is a mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is mainly used as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent the separation of oils and products. Due to its composition, it can also be used to thicken a product or help create foam.

Cetearyl alcohol is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.

Studies show Cetearyl alcohol is non-toxic and non-irritating. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient is usually derived from plant oils such as palm, vegetable, or coconut oils. There is debate on whether this ingredient will cause acne.

Due to the fatty acid base, this ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.

Learn more about Cetearyl Alcohol

Bayer Skinoren 20% Cream contains this as ingredient number 7.

COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream contains this as ingredient number 6.

4
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Bayer Skinoren 20% Cream contains this as ingredient number 9.

COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

Bayer Skinoren 20% Cream 10 ingredients

COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream 51 ingredients

30% are loved or liked
0% have mixed ratings
50% are disliked or very disliked
20% have no rating yet
45% are loved or liked
12% have mixed ratings
43% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

Bayer Skinoren 20% Cream 10 ingredients

COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream 51 ingredients

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Bayer Skinoren 20% Cream 10 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 2 ratings
Absorbs Well (1) Great Value (1) Light (1) No Scent (1) Works Well (1)
jazzzzz1's avatar

jazzzzz1

2 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

I was told to use this twice a day by my doctor. After using Adapalene for ages which destroyed my skin barrier I was worried this would ruin my...

I was told to use this twice a day by my doctor. After using Adapalene for ages which destroyed my skin barrier I was worried this would ruin my skin more. So far its been great, I have had no damaged or irritated skin (except for some slight tingling on application), it's reduced the redness of my inflammatory acne and seems to reduce the oiliness of my skin.

I read somewhere that this product shouldn't cause purging. For me it has, but in a good way, as it has brought the acne that is deep down in my skin to the surface and turned it into a whitehead, which for me is a lot easier to treat than the deep cystic acne I usually have! Would definitely recommend this product if you have acne and adapalene hasn't worked for you.

COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream 51 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 2 ratings
Absorbs Well (1) Great Value (1) Light (1) Light Scent (1) Works Well (1)
AshN.'s avatar

AshN.

4 months ago · Dry Skin
Review

(Started Dec 2023) This was a bit of an impulse buy with a friend, but I'm honestly glad I got it! I have previous experience with using retinoids...

(Started Dec 2023) This was a bit of an impulse buy with a friend, but I'm honestly glad I got it! I have previous experience with using retinoids (specifically from The Ordinary Line) and wanted to try something a bit stronger. On Amazon it is priced at $13, so I would say this is a wonderful budget buy. The formulation is very gentle given the strength and I experienced no problems with irritation! My skin actually ended up feeling smoother and softer the following morning with this. I would highly recommend this as a starter Retinol. Planning to get the .3 formulation after I go through another one.

sarahabma's avatar

sarahabma

1 year ago · Sensitive Skin
Review

Wonderful beginner retinol
Ny first ever retinol but 2nd time using a retinoid. for context I have highly acne-prone skin.

I've been using this...

Wonderful beginner retinol
Ny first ever retinol but 2nd time using a retinoid. for context I have highly acne-prone skin.

I've been using this every other night for a couple weeks now and I see that my acne is healing much faster than usual, i.e. less redness and irritation on acne that I would usually experience.

Though there are ingredients rated by SkinSort as not good for acne-prone skin (Cetearyl Alcohol, Myristic Acid and Lauric Acid), I have not noticed a negative reaction whatsoever. So, I would still recommend this product for other retinol beginners, especially those with acne-prone skin like me.

Alternatives

We haven't detected any alternatives for Bayer Skinoren 20% Cream.

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